Tracker device for sheet-controlled instruments.



. J. C. HA GEY. TRACKER DEVICE POR SHEET GONTROLEEDINSTRUMENTS.

A APPLICATION FILED DEG. 23, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, Patented July 9, 1912.

NIH) E "Ill qu [Huf J. C. HAGEY. TRACKER DEVICE FOR SHEET GONTROLLED INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FI'LED 13120.23, 1907. LSLQS, Patented July 9,1912,

J. C. HAGEY.

TRACKER *DEVICE FOR SHEET GONTEOLLBD INSTRUMENTS. APPLIUATION FILED 13110.23, 1907.

1 ;0315923. .Patented Jlgly, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A l v i VV i. fri vri l o lll.l

vAIVIIEIS CLARKE HAGEY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR'TO THE CABLE COMPANY. -OF CHICAGO, ILLINOS, A CORPORATION 0F LLNOIS,

TRACKER DEVICE FOR SHEET-CGNTROLLED INSTRUMENTS.

To all whom, t may concern Be it known that l, JAMES CLARKE' HA snr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and ,State of Illinois, have .invented new and useful Improvements in Tracker De vices for Sheet-Controlled Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to instruments that are controlled as to their operation by traveling sheets and has for its chief object to provide a device to permit such control by a plurality of sheets having the selective means arranged thereupon or therein in. different manner or scales. V

A further object of this invention is to provide simple means for operatively connecting or disconnecting either one of a plurality of trackers having their conducting means arranged in different manner or scales.

Figure l is a view in front elevation show ing my inventionapplied to an automatic musical instrument in which two differently scaled controlling-sheets may be employed; Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section upon the line 2-2 of Fig. l, illustrating Vthe opera' -tive connection of the lower tracker formed upon. the movement of the upper tracker from operative positiong-F 1g. 3 is a View` similar to Fig. 2 showing the same parts in shifted relative position, wherein the lower tracker is disconnected by the movement of the upper tracker into operative position; Fig. 4 is a view in cross-section of a modifi cation embodying the principles of the invention; Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. 4 showing the same parts in shifted relative position; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views of anotherimodiiication demonstrating an application of the invention to pro wide for the operative connection and disconnection of three trackers; and Figs. 9, 1Q and 1l are plan views taken, respectively, upon lines 9-,9 and 10-10 of Fig. l and line 11-11 of Fig. 3, `portions being broken away in each instance to show the arrangement of the underlying ducts or pas A While I have sho-wn and will describe my device as applied to a musical instrmnent, it will be understood that the invention nniy' WCS.

be used upon other instruments or machinescontrolled by perforated shot-its or webs and 'also upon electrically controlled instruments using webs either provided with perfora- 'ltions or other selective means wherein :on

' Specification of Letters Patent.

tact is made by the web with a transversely arranged bar having means for conducting selected impulses imparted thereto by the said selective means.

ifiutoniatically-operated ,musical instruments have been usually controlled in opera# tion by means of traveling perforated sheets wherein the perfor-ations are arranged for registration with the apertlnes of a tracker placed in the instrument for contact with the sheet. rlhe trackers of the diflerent in- Patented July gi, i912. i -pplicaton filed December 23, 1907. Serial No. 407,723.

struments are Vusually supplied with a single y somewhat standardized scale of sixty-live apertures arranged six to each inch. For various reasons there is new desired an in crease in the number of tlecker-apertures and mechanisms controlled therethrough and itv is' the purpose of my invention to permit the operation of a single instrument either by sheets having sixty-tive perforar tions arranged siX to the inch or by sheets wherein the perforations are differently arranged. Vilhile there are inventions covering various interchangeable devices vfor varying the scale of tracke qapertures to ac-v complish this end, my dcvice'coinprises a construction forming an integral part of the instrument, compact and al'lfording simple adj ustmentwit-hout neeessitatin removal or addition of any part. l accomplish this by the 'use of a plurality of trackers having their individual scales of Aapertures difl'er' ently arranged, either of which scales may be selectively employed for use with certain sheets having correspondingly arranged perforations.

llVhile l have shown in most of the L'lrawings a two-tracker construct-ion, l :unaware that this particular arrangement may notbe desirable in all cases, and l. have therefore shown clearly in Figs. t3, i, and 8 that the number of trackers may be increased by simple duplication of the principles of the invention.

A designates the frame of the usual music-roll box containing and in some instruments supporting ,the music take-up spool i3 and the removable spool C from which the music-sheet is drawn across a tracker by the take-up spool during operation'of the instrument..

l represents one of the usual series of conductors extending from the tracker devices to any chosen form of iioto-soundiiig mechanism. `l-shall demonstrate in thisl do- 'seript'ion the use of rubber iibing as preother means with the mechanisms to be actuated. I do not Wish to be limited therefore to minor details ot construction and I am aware that there are changes other than I have mentioned which may be made by thosev skilled in the art Without departure from lthe principles or operation of my invention. v

`I therefore claim broadly as follows Al. In an instrumentof the class described, a tracker-device comprising two elements arranged for' relative adjustment, each element having a'first and second series of conductors extending therein, the irst series of conductors of one element -connecting With the tirst and second series of conductors ot the other element, certain relative adjustment of the said elements causing the sec-- ond series of conductors of said one element to connect with the second series of conductors of said other element.

2. In an instrument of the class described, a tracker-device comprising tvvo elements arranged for relative adjustment, each element having a first and second series of conductors extending therein, certain relative adjust-ment of said elements causing the first series of conveyers of one lelement to connect the first and second series of conductors of the other element and another relative adjustment of the said elements causing disconnection of the first and second series of. conductors of said other element through the first series ot' conductors of said one ele.- ment andconnection of the second series of conductors of said one element With the second series of conductors of said other element.

3. In an instrument of the class described, a tracker device comprising a plurality of relatively adjustable trackers, a series of tracker conductors arranged in etfclitof said trackers, a separate series of conductors, and means through which relative adjustment of said trackers effects connection of a selected series of tracker conductors with said separate series of conductors and disconnection or separation of the other series of tracker conductors therefrom.

4. In combination with a controllingsheet, sheet-controllable mechanisms and conductors (2) extending. from said mechanisms to conduct impulses to saidmechanisms, a tracker-device comprising a plural- Iity of trackers arranged for relative adjustment, conductors extending in each of said trackers for connection with the tirst-nameil conductors for transmitting impulses thereto from said sheet, and means through Which the connection of the conductors of each tracker With the first-named conductors is dependent upon the relative adjustment of a plurality of said trackers- 5. In an instrument of the class described, in combination with a controllingsheet, sheet controllable mechanism and conductors (2) extending from said mechanisms to conduct impulses to said mechanisms, a plurality of trackers arranged for relative adjust-ment, conductors extending vin each of said .trackers for connection vvith the firstnamed conductors for transmitting` impulses thereto from said sheet, and means through which relative adjustment of the trackers to present one thereof for contact With said sheet causes connection of the conductors extending in that tracker with the first-named conductors and disconnection from the firstnamed conductors of the conductors extending in the other trackers.

6. In an instrument of the class described,

-the combination with a series of conductors,

ing a plurality of members arranged for relative adjustment, a controlling-sheet, a plurality of trackers arranged for relative adjustment into positions for contact With said controlling-sheet, conductors extendingv between each tracker and switch-member and secondary conductors extending from the switch-device, the relative position of saidsWitch-members causing connection between the said secondary conductors and the conductors extending to the tracker Which is in position for contact with said sheet.

7. In an instrument of the class described, the combination with a series of conductors, of a fixed tracker and conductors arranged therein, a movable tracker and conductors arranged therein and means for effecting the connection and disconnection of t-he'said 100 conductors arranged in the fixed tracker With the said series of conductors through alternate movement of said movable tracker in reverse directions.

8. In an instrument of the class described, y

the combination with a series otconductors, of a fixed tracker and conductors arranged therein, a movable tracker and conductors arranged therein and means for effecting the connection of the said conductors arranged in the fixed tracker with the saidv series of conductors through movement of said movable tracker in'toa predetermined JAMES CLARKE HAGEY.

lVitnesscs H. W.' JARRoW, W. E. Gorman.

Letters Puten No. L 17928, granted July i), 1912,

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